When you think of the word focus, you probably just think it only means concentrating on something and you’d be right. However, there are actually variations of focus and both are equally as important for you to truly tap into all of your potential.

As humans, we are creatures of habit. Most people find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to really focus their minds on a task. We are so easily distracted and taken away from our ability to focus and even when we do manage to focus, it is often short lived. If you are looking to achieve far more results, in less time, learning to properly focus may be the most valuable technique you will learn. The two different types of focus that I will discuss is Broad Focus & Narrow Focus.

 Broad Focus is used in situations that call for a more generalized approach. For example, if you were planning on doing a leg workout today, your Broad Focus would be geared towards figuring out what types of exercises you would use in your routine. For the most part, your routines should already be created prior to your workout.

However, certain aspects of your routine and elements which would call for your Broad Focus include things like, which types of exercise equipment you will utilize during your workout? What order of exercises will you follow? Or how many total exercises will you execute throughout the entirety of the routine? Although these elements are within the scope of Broad Focus, it doesn’t mean that they require more or less focus than Narrow Focus.

Your Narrow Focus is based on the more intricate and finer details of your exercise routine. Narrow Focus really comes into play during the workout, compared to Broad Focus, which takes place before your workout begins. With Narrow Focus, you’re concentrating on the specific exercise that you are about to do. You’ll then focus on the specific muscles you intend to isolate. You’ll focus on more detailed components, such as how much weight you intend to lift and how many repetitions you must perform during a given set, etc.

We then further narrow the focus, by honing in on elements, such as your feelings, actions and thoughts. As your life changes from day to day, so will your Narrow Focus during your workouts…You will experience bouts of change from one workout to the next…You might be feeling down one day and up the next, you might have little energy one day and lots the next, you might not be able to control your thoughts very much one day and find that you are in complete control the next, and on and on it goes. What’s most important is learning how to harness your Narrow Focus, helping to make it as intense as humanly possible. Creating this Narrow Focus becomes most important when you are in the middle of a grueling set of exercise. As you continue along in that set, the weights will only get heavier, the exercise more intense and more difficult. This is the time when your ability to concentrate and wrench out everything you’ve got comes into play.

Can you imagine someone, at this time, trying to talk to you!?! It happens all the time. This is why it’s so important to share with your gym pack, your likes and dislikes during training. Don’t be shy either – When it comes to working out, there’s nothing worse than someone stealing your emotional state, thus screwing up your workout!

Focus and get the most out of YOUR time in the gym!

James Villepigue CSCS